The present invention relates generally to an herbal formulation. More particularly, the invention is directed to an herbal food supplement comprising a mixture of Western and Chinese herbs which can act as an intestinal bowel soother.
Herbal formulations have been used as dietary supplements and natural medicaments for many years. Such formulations may aid the body in dealing with a number of intestinal maladies such as, for example, irritable bowel syndrome.
Irritable bowel syndrome is one of today""s most frequently occurring gastrointestinal disorders, accounting for approximately 40% of all visits to gastroenterology practices. Sometimes called spastic colitis or nervous colon, common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome may include cramping, bloating, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. People afflicted with irritable bowel syndrome have been shown to be almost three times more likely to miss work (13.4 days per year vs. 4.9 days per year) than those who do not suffer from this infirmity.
The exact cause for irritable bowel syndrome is not known. Conventional therapies include dietary changes and nutritional supplements. Significant changes in dietary habits and the elimination of common foods that are known to cause allergies (such as, for example, refined carbohydrates, dairy or lactose products, and sugars) may reduce irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.
It would be desirable to prepare an herbal formulation that would act as a food supplement and at the same time assist in relieving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by soothing the intestinal bowels.
Accordant with the present invention, a beneficial herbal formulation has surprisingly been discovered. It comprises the following ingredients:
slippery elm bark;
German chamomile flower;
fenugreek seed;
fennel seed;
skullcap herb;
cranberry fruit;
peppermint leaf;
a mixture of Chinese herbs, comprising atractylodes root, capillary artemisia herb, codonopsis root, Job""s tears seed, schisandra fruit, agastache whole plant, Chinese licorice root, Chinese thoroughwax, ginger root, Korean ash branches bark, magnolia bark, phellodendron bark, poria cocos root, psyllium seed, Chinese goldthread, Chinese white peony root, costus root, silver root, tangerine peel, and angelica root; and methylsulfonylmethane.
The herbal formulation according to the present invention is useful as a food supplement, and additionally may be particularly useful as an intestinal bowel soother for those who experience irritable bowel syndrome.